Science and Innovation Network in Saudi Arabia

Jane Lambert

 

Earlier today I wrote about Yamish Yakoob's appointment as the first British intellectual property attaché to the Gulf Cooperation Council or "GCC" (see UK's New Intellectual Property Attache to the GCC 27 April 2021).  I posted Mr Yakoob's contact details at the British embassy in Riyadh but forgot to check whether our embassy has a website and I have discovered that it does (British embassy website).   It also has some information about a lot of useful services in Saudi Arabia and the GCC which merit this postscript.

Science & Innovation Network in Saudi Arabia

The Science and Innovation Network in Saudi Arabia is part of a wider network of approximately 110 officers in over 40 countries and territories around the world who are building partnerships and collaborations in science and innovation.  According to the network's website, it has 3 officers covering all 6 GCC countries. The head of the network in the GCC, who is referred to curiously as "the Head of SIN (Gulf)", is based in Doha.  The officials in Saudi Arabia are based at the British embassy in Riyadh.

The Network's Objectives in Saudi Arabia

According to the network's website, its officials in Saudi Arabia are working on the following objectives

"Establishing the UK as Saudi Arabia’s pivotal partner of choice in science and innovation.

Supporting the Saudi Arabia in enhancing their resilience and security by addressing long-term threats, including emerging health issues and global challenges on water and food security, as well as through building their capacity to deliver evidence-based policies.

Increasing trade and investment cooperation in education, healthcare, infrastructure, water, clean energy, cyber security, Science and Innovation – working on higher education, collaborating with the British Council and the Gulf Science and Innovation, Knowledge and Economy programme.

Broadening security cooperation between the UK and Saudi Arabia – keeping Britain, and our interests, safe.

Strengthening bilateral relationship through engagement on science and innovation.

Helping Saudi Arabia to deliver commitments made at COP 22.

Helping Saudi Arabia with Vision 2030 and achieving economic diversification.

Engaging with the next generation of thinkers.

Helping Saudi Arabia to deliver on G20 commitments."

Priorities

The website states that the officials in Saudi Arabia are focusing on the following priorities:

"Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

Genomics and Precision Medicine.

Food Security

Cyber and ICT

Clean and Renewable Energy

Future/SMART Cities"

Possible Overlap

The reference to "SMART Cities" reminds me of the work on SMART Towns carried out by the Enterprise Hub (Yr Hwb Menter) at the Menai Science Park in North Wales. There may be scope for fruitful collaboration between Welsh and Saudi collaborators in that field.   

Snapshot

The network has produced the following snapshot of its work in Saudi Arabia.

Further Information

I have summarized the links in the following table:

British Embassy in Saudi Arabia	https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-riyadh
UK Science & Innovation Network In Saudi Arabia	https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/uk-science-innovation-network-in-kingdom-of-saudi-arabia
UK Science & Innovation Network Country Snapshot	https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/910663/Saudi_Arabia_Snapshot-2020.pdf
British embassy Facebook page	https://www.facebook.com/ukinsaudiarabia
UK Science & Innovation Network Twitter stream	https://twitter.com/uksinet?lang=en-gb

Anyone wishing to discuss this article may call me on +44 (0)20 7404 5252 during UK business hours or send me a message at any time through my contact form.

UK's New Intellectual Property Attache to the GCC

Author Furfur Licence CC BY-SA 4.0 Source Wikimedia Commons

Jane Lambert

The British government has signalled the importance of the Gulf Cooperation Council ("GCC") as a trading and investment partner by appointing Yamish Yakoob as its first Intellectual Property Attaché to the bloc (see the IPO's Case Study IP Attaché: Yamish Yakoob, Gulf Cooperation Council 7 Oct 2021 IPO website). Yakoob's appointment increases the number of IP attachés to 7.  The others are in North America, South-East Asia, China, Brazil, India and Geneva (see Guidance Attaché contact details 7 Oct 2021 IPO website).

I first learnt about the work of our attachés when I chaired meetings for Tom Duke and Monica Su at the studios of Northern Ballet and Phoenix Dance Theatre in Leeds and the Business Village in Barnsley on 19 Sept 2018 (see Meet our IP Attaché to China 21 July 2017 IP Yorkshire). At those meetings, our representatives met business leaders and IP practitioners from the Leeds and Sheffield city regions.  

Yakoob was educated at the International Indian School and Asan Memorial College from where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration and economics.  He has spent the greater part of his career in the consular service as a trade and investment advisor between 2004 and 2018 at the British Consulate-General. Since 2018 he has served in the diplomatic service as Senior Trade Advisor - Creative (Culture, Sport and Tourism) at our embassy in Riyadh. He speaks Arabic, Hindi, Malayalam. Tamil and Urdu as well as English.

He can be contacted at the British embassy in Riyadh at 

Abdullah Alsahmi Street,
Near Circle 10,
As Safarat
Al Safarat,
Riyadh
12513,
Saudi Arabia.
Tel: +966 (0)11 481 9100 and
Email Yamish.Yakoob@fcdo.gov.uk

I congratulate Yamish Yakoob on his appointment and wish him every success.

Anyone wishing to discuss this article can call me on +44 (0)20 7404 5252 during normal business hours or send me a message through my contact form.

Postscript

In view of the worldwide interest in this post, I have added a short postscript on the work of the UK's Science & Innovation Network in Saudi Arabia and other GCC states with some useful links. Mr Yakoob is likely to be closely involved in the Network's activities.

Expo 2020 Dubai Association Rights

Author SumikashaC Licence CC BY-SA 4.0 Source Wikimedia 

Jane Lambert

Expo 2020 Dubai opened on 1 Oct 2021. It should have taken place between 20 Oct 2020 and 10 April 2021 but, like the Tokyo Olympics, it was postponed for a year because of the pandemic.  As it happens, International Expos have a lot in common with the Olympic Games. They attract visitors from all parts of the world. They require lavish sponsorship.  They are regulated by ithe Bureau International des Expositions much in the way that the Games are regulated by the International Olympic Committee.

Like the Olympics and other major sporting events, their funding is vulnerable to ambush marketing.  The booklet, Expo 2020 Dubai Brand Protection Guidelines, describes ambush marketing as "the act of creating a false or unauthorized association with an event, whether intentional or not." It effectively gives worldwide publicity to the ambushers for nothing.

The right to associate with a major sporting event or Expo is called an "association right" and it is regarded as an intellectual property right (see para 16.1 (6) of the Part 63 Practice Direction).  I discussed the legislation that protected the rights of the International Olympic Committee and the London Organizing Committee in Olympics Association Right and London Olympics Association Right on 31 July 2012 in NIPC Law.  Similar legislation has been enacted for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 which I mentioned in Guidance on Birmingham Commonwealth Games Association Right on 10 Aug 2021 in NIPC West Midlands.

The marks that are protected in the United Arab Emirates include the composite word and device marls of the Bureau International des Expositions and Expo 2020 Dubai. Images of those marks appear on pages 11 to 13 and 16 of the booklet. The booklet suggests that neither the Emirati nor the Dubai government has enacted special legislation to protect those marks or association rights. The intellectual property rights that are mentioned on page 19 are trade marks and copyright. I discussed the relevant legislation in UAE Trade Mark Law on 30 May 2013 and copyright and related rights on 4 Jan 2012 and 11 Feb 2012.

The booklet does not mention the courts in which infringement proceedings would be brought. It is assumed that these will be the civil courts in Dubai. As an intellectual property law has been enacted for the Dubai International Financial Centre. it may also be possible for sponsors to seek relief in the Centre's English speaking common law courts (see  Introduction to, and Overview of, the New DIFC Intellectual Property Law 11 Dec 2019).  An advantage of that jurisdiction is that the DIFC provides a remedy for passiong off (see The DIFC Law of Passing-Off  7 April 2012).

Changing the subject, almost every country in the world seems to be represented with its own pavilion in Dubai including very small states such as Monaco and the Holy See.  The British pavilion seems particularly lavish.   A day ticket to the Expo costs 95 UAE dirhams which is just under £20 and children, students, seniors and "people of determination" get in for free.  That compares very favourably to the Roman remains in Bath, an important tourist attraction in this country. 

Anyone wishing to discuss this article can call me on  +44 (0)20 7504 5252 during office hours or send me a message through my contact form.